The Vows That Changed Us
by sctwilightvampwolfgal
Summary: Some things couldn't be avoided, and vows were not always set in stone to be ultimately beautiful or ultimately good; she'd married him anyway whether or not she'd had a choice. *Deanon from the Ao No Exorcist Kink Meme over on Livejournal.*


"Do you swear to take me, in sickness, in health, to love, honor and keep... Till death do us part, do you pledge your faithfulness? Now then, to seal our vow, let me bit your lips off." That near confession of sorts was what had started it off then.

Shiemi'd never really expected anything of that sort then, certainly hadn't had anything in her to say so, and had felt the kiss when they shifted, just barely avoiding Rin's attack.

His tongue was long and nearly slimy then though a part of her felt the stirrings of a call to obey, so she'd leaned in; who was to say that her first kiss was awful when she didn't know any better?

It was that moment when the Chuchin tumbled out of her neck, and Shiemi felt the nervous realization that she'd just accepted a marriage vow, no courting whatsoever before that.

She stared, eyes wide and nearly childlike into the face of the man that had barely pulled apart from her, leaving her lips bleeding from the bite marks that he'd left there.

Her eyes widened only further as color finally came back into them, green becoming alive again, green like the plants that she adored and the earth creatures that came to his beck and call.

Shiemi's face darkened, hitting nearly violet hues as she tried to even her breathing, and felt every hope of denying this, collapse in her veins.

She'd always imagined her own marriage to be honest and faithful; she'd felt the urge to deny his promises fall further and further down.

* * *

Shiemi remembers being returned to her home and how all night, she longed for Amaimon to return, to envelop her into a warm embrace and for the feelings of a sweet kiss on her lips.

She hated her curiosity, her longing; she knew that it wasn't right, that they didn't tell her mother what they couldn't stop, and she knew that Rin would not be able to look into her eyes for a while and not see the marriage vows and the sloppy kiss with more biting than gentle loving.

The tamer turned in her bed, faced the window, and felt that calling in her gut, telling her to reach out and leave, find her new husband; a part of her didn't care whether the marriage vows could even be seen as real.

She cried herself to sleep that night and for the next few nights.

* * *

Shiemi remembers the blur of waiting, of wondering if he was even sincere until he came by again; he wasn't supposed to be able to 'break in' to True Cross Academy and yet there he was.

She couldn't stop the urge in her to run to him and feel his arms loop around her; she couldn't believe herself when she longed already to be his, even though a part of her seemed to feel that he didn't love her.

Amaimon had kidnapped her that day as others would see it and brought her home to an ostentatious mansion, the home of his brother, Mephisto.

Shiemi remembers how odd Amaimon's room seemed, all dark green and black; it nearly felt ominous to her, but she brought herself over to the bed and sat down on it, feeling the plush quality of the bed and wondering how serious their marriage was.

She remembers that night in a rush of blood and pain, the numbness achieved only after feeling too much, nerves shooting out mixed signals that she couldn't even hope to follow; she'd melted into it, gave in despite her body's desire to rebel, felt in her that she had to and felt that remnant of may be love floating somewhere in her veins.

* * *

Shiemi was bandaged up for many days; only once she'd recovered, Mephisto brought them forth for a much more serious ceremony.

She remembers her vows then, remembers feeling nervous and almost scared; she remembers that night too.

Amaimon had been almost careful with her, tender as if he loved her, and she felt that they understood each other in a way that was more than a little hard to explain.

She clung to him that night, felt bruises form and ignored them; he was her husband now regardless of what Rin thought or anyone else did.

Shiemi remembers crying that night afterward, remembering how she'd adored Rin, how scared he might be; her husband had held her as if he, too, cared about how she felt.

"It's alright. He's just a pesky human." Weren't really the most comforting words, but they eased some of the pain away for now.

She'd had nightmares that night, dreamed of betraying her best friend, and cried against her husband's chest, wishing that she hadn't done just that.

* * *

Amaimon brought her forth for her to meet the rest of his family and for her to see 'their' mansion; she was not really accepted.

She was a puny human, too gentle, too weak; she was too kind for his family's approval.

Shiemi had whispered that she didn't belong here; she can't remember anything from that fight beyond broken glass, the blood that ran like waterfalls down her side, the screaming from her husband, and the pain that left her nearly traumatized.

She'd awoken the next day in Assiah, blood long since dried to her skin, aching bruises, and muscles too tired to even try moving.

Shiemi cried for the first time since their wedding night; her tears wouldn't stop.

Amaimon had arrived, mostly recovered from the last night, and yet he'd been a little forceful with her when he'd reminded Shiemi that she was his.

Shiemi tried to fight her tears as her body ultimately succumbed to his; she hated that she loved the way he touched her and the way that he caused her to melt into him, pain and all.

She'd clung to him afterward as if reminding herself of her love for him, she didn't pull apart when they fell back asleep.

* * *

His embrace was not nearly warm; it was cool to the touch, but Shiemi felt a part of her begin to love it, to savor every second of it.

She clung to every embrace, began to long to kiss him regardless of whether they were sloppy and rough kisses or the gentle ones that he gave to soothe her.

Shiemi hummed melodies within Mephisto's manor now as she transformed the garden out back and tried to ignore how powerful this made her feel as if she was more than just a tamer to Nee as if she was his mother in a bizarre twist of fate.

She loved the garden and loved it more whenever Amaimon came out to help her grow it and when he'd told her that it reminded him of her and kissed her.

Shiemi doubted her old insecurities now, thrilled over those kisses, and felt a desire for him even among the pain of coming together with him in bizarre puzzle pieces that never quite fit right.

She'd smiled at him more, felt almost like her past memories were lies constructed to be her downfalls; she adored her husband more and more with the strange passing of time.

* * *

The tamer curled up beside her husband after a long day and wondered really why she'd wanted to be an exorcist to begin with; she had married someone that others frowned upon the marriage of, lived with him, loved him.

She listened for the gentle sound of his snores that were never too loud and leaned closer against cold skin and wondered whether she had ever had compelling evidence to avoid his side.

Shiemi leaned close enough to hear his dead heart beat and longed to just remain by his side forever despite every other piece of an argument that dictated that she shouldn't.

Her lips met his much colder ones in a gentle kiss before she curled up beside him and felt those cold arms shift to encircle her in their embrace and make her feel loved for even another moment longer.


End file.
